This invention relates to the treatment of ailments in which there is swelling of a particular area of a person""s body, such as with hemorrhoids or as a result of an episiotomy. More particularly, this invention relates to belts and belt attachments that act to alleviate the discomfort and pain caused from swollen body tissue.
There are numerous ailments that cause significant discomfort and pain as a result of swollen body tissue. Hemorrhoids, for example, are swollen blood vessels in and around the anus and lower rectum that have been stretched from the pressure of normal bodily functions. These swollen blood vessels, which can bleed, itch and/or cause great pain and discomfort, are classified as either internal or external. Internal hemorrhoids lie within the rectum, but can sometimes grow large enough so that they protrude outside the anal sphincter. External hemorrhoids lie within the anus area and, likewise, are often quite painful. Once swollen, additional discomfort can be caused by such simple tasks as walking, when friction causes rubbing of the swollen area.
Similar discomfort and pain often occur as a result of an episiotomyxe2x80x94a procedure often used by physicians to attempt to prevent tearing of the vaginal area during childbirth. The incision made during an episiotomy often results in very swollen tissue in and around the area of the episitomy. In addition to the pain and discomfort caused by the incision itself, pain and discomfort may also result from friction when other parts of the body, such as the thighs, rub against the swollen area.
Both of these, as well as similar ailments, are widespread. Hemorrhoids, for example, is a very common problem that afflicts many men, women and children worldwide. It is estimated that almost half of all people have hemorrhoids by age 50. Hemorrhoids are particularly common among pregnant women because the pressure caused by the fetus during pregnancy, the hormonal changes, and the severe pressures during childbirth often cause the hemorrhoidal vessels to swell.
There are no proven single or direct causes of hemorrhoids. Studies focus on possible causes such as constipation, diarrhea, genetic predispositions to sitting for too long a time period, but all without conclusive findings. The most consistent demonstrated abnormality is an increased maximum resting anal pressure. Hemorrhoids, like the area affected by an episiotomy, have extremely sensitive tissue that require non-motion and rest in order to advance the healing process. Both ailments, as well as other similar ailments, are sometimes treated by the application of ice packs, for example, to attempt to reduce swelling.
In particular, both internal and external hemorrhoids have been treated by a variety of methods including surgery, medication, ice packs, diet, increased water intake, chemical injections, lasers or a combination of techniques. A number of surgical methods also can be used to remove or shrink the size of internal hemorrhoids. These methods may include: rubber band ligation and sclerotherapy. Rubber band ligation, for example, involves placing a rubber band around the base of the hemorrhoid in order to cut off circulation. Sclerotherapy, on the other hand, involves injecting a chemical solution around the blood vessel in order to shrink the hemorrhoid. Alternatively, laser coagulation or infrared light can be used to burn away the hemorrhoid. In addition, a hemorrhoidectomy may be performed on severe hemorrhoids in which the hemorrhoid is permanently surgically removed.
While these surgical techniques are aimed at total elimination of hemorrhoids, often, less drastic medical treatment may be employed to reduce the symptoms of hemorrhoids. Such measures can include: taking a warm bath several times a day, using ice packs to reduce swelling, taking stool softeners, and/or applying hemorrhoidal cream or a suppository to the affected area. A high fiber and increased non-alcoholic beverages are also recommended in order to prevent pressure on the hemorrhoids caused by straining when emptying the bowels and preventing constipation. However, once a patient has developed a hemorrhoidal condition, it is often difficult for a person to find quick relief.
Similar measures are often suggested to ease the discomfort of women who were subjected to an episiotomy during childbirth. For example, often, during the first days following the delivery, ice packs or cold compresses are applied to the affected area. One problem is that it is often difficult to keep the ice pack properly aligned with the affected body tissue.
While trying to ease the discomfort of these ailments, it is important to ease the pressure on the swollen tissue. Gravity forces continuous pressure on these fragile blood vessels, e.g., when a person sits or stands, the abdominal pressure and leg and buttocks friction can aggravate both the hemorrhoidal and episiotomy situations. In the past, patients have often tried to alleviate this pressure by sitting on a donut-shaped cushion or pillow. However, this cushion is only useful when a person sits and does not address the discomfort when a person stands or sleeps.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide methods and apparatus that provide relief for the discomfort caused by swollen body tissue at any time of the day or night.
It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus that provide relief for the discomfort caused by swollen body tissue during sleep.
It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus that relieve unnecessary pressure due to swollen tissue discomfort by separating other body parts from the swollen area.
It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus for alleviating the discomfort caused by swollen tissue that are reusable and cleanable.
It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus for maintaining treatment applications in proper alignment with the affected area of the body.
It is also desirable to provide methods and apparatus for alleviating the discomfort caused by swollen tissue that are inexpensive and may discarded after each use.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a methods and apparatus that provide relief for the discomfort caused by swollen body tissue at any time of the day or night.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus that provide relief for the discomfort caused by swollen body tissue during sleep.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus that relieve unnecessary pressure due to swollen tissue discomfort by separating other body parts from the swollen area.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for alleviating the discomfort caused by swollen tissue that are reusable and cleanable.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for maintaining treatment applications in proper alignment with the affected area of the body.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods and apparatus for alleviating the discomfort caused by swollen tissue that are inexpensive and may discarded after each use.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished in accordance with the principles of the invention by providing methods and apparatus for alleviating pressure and friction due to rubbing from swollen areas of the body. In particular, the present invention provides a wearable device that, when worn, separates the swollen body area from other parts of the body. This reduces the amount of irritating friction that would otherwise occur, and it also tends to expose the inflamed area to the air to aide in the healing process by permitting drying to occur. The wearable device may be in the form of underwear (such as panties for women), or it may be in the form of single-use, partially adhesive, strips that perform the separate function. An additional feature of the underwear form of the present invention is the optional inclusion of a pocket for holding a cold compress or other treatment device in proper alignment with the affected area.
The present invention may be useful in aiding the treatment of any number of ailments relating to swollen tissue. For example, women who have undergone an episiotomy during childbirth, could wear a panty configured, in accordance with the principles of the present invention, to include a pocket that holds a cold compress or ice pack against the swollen genital area. In addition, the pocket may include, for example, the capacity to absorb or retain any condensation formed as the cold object warms, thereby preventing the wearer""s clothing from getting wet. Alternatively, the same woman might wear a differently configured panty if, for example, she also suffered from hemorrhoids as a result of childbirth. In that instance, the panty may also include one or more panels to separate the buttocks to ease the healing process of the hemorrhoids.
The present invention may also include a wearable device that is specifically configured to provide relief for hemorrhoid discomfort during sleep. This device, as well as other embodiments of the present invention, provides relief from discomfort and irritation by reducing friction between the affected area and other body parts. For the treatment of hemorrhoids in particular, the present invention also provides relief by separating the buttocks, thereby removing unnecessary pressure on the hemorrhoids. There is also provided relief from discomfort resulting from an episiotomy.
The wearable devices of the present invention may be reusable and launderable, such as panties that can be thrown in the laundry, or they may include single-use devices such as wearable strips that include portions of adhesive to perform the separation function. The single-use strips would preferably be hypo-allergenic and/or waterproof. In addition, any of the wearable devices of the present invention may contain one or more pockets that can hold, for example, a cold compress, an ice pack, a heating pad, a hot compress or medicated ointment.
One advantage of the present invention is the immediate relief from pain and/or discomfort to the suffering patient because it immediately takes pressure off of the affected area. For example, with regard to hemorrhoids, the present invention takes pressure off of the buttocks cheeks, which in turn, removes pressure from the affected hemorrhoids. Another advantage of the present invention is that users will be able to apply and/or remove cold compresses or healing ointments as needed, and that they will be retained in proper alignment with the affected area without the need for constant readjustment, thereby, allowing for more user control of the healing process with less inconvenience.
An advantage of the single-use strips embodiment of the present invention is that they can be used to provide immediate pain relief in a convenient form. For example, one or more strips may be easily carried in a purse or bag, while it may be impractical to carry around a treatment panty. In addition, the single-use strips may be more readily available for purchase at drug stores, or similar stores. Moreover, the single-use strips may be used during anal surgery to separate a patient""s buttocks cheeks such that human intervention is not required to maintain the necessary separation. Another advantage of the single-use strips versus a panty-like device is that a person suffering from swollen tissue discomfort can take warm baths while wearing the single-use strips so that the warm water may directly help ease inflammation and pain.